The 2026 Child Care Champions were recognized during an event in East Lansing on Sept. 24. This year’s honorees include businesses, nonprofits, municipalities, and economic development organizations that are developing innovative approaches to address child care needs in communities across Michigan. 

“Access to affordable, high-quality child care is essential to the success of children, families and communities,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, executive director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). “The 2026 Child Care Champions are demonstrating how local leadership, strong partnerships, and creative investments can help address child care challenges and strengthen Michigan’s early childhood system. Their work reflects the important role communities play in building solutions that support children and families while helping employers and the state’s economy thrive.” 

The Child Care Champions are recognized by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), Pulse at the W.E. Upjohn Institute and MiLEAP for demonstrating how employers, local governments, organizations, and community partners can work together to address child care challenges. ECIC works to increase public and private investment and strengthen Michigan’s early childhood system; Pulse brings data, research, and collaboration to help communities develop solutions; and MiLEAP works to expand access to high-quality early learning and care while supporting children, families, and the early childhood workforce.  

“Child care is deeply connected to the strength of our communities and the success of our workforce,” said Kathy Szenda Wilson, founder and co-executive director at Pulse at the W.E. Upjohn Institute. “The organizations recognized this year show what is possible when businesses, economic development leaders, municipalities, nonprofits, and community partners come together around solutions that meet the needs of families. Their leadership is helping build stronger communities and showing that child care can be part of how Michigan attracts, supports, and retains a strong workforce.” 

“Communities across Michigan are finding different ways to respond to their child care needs,” said Maria Ortiz Borden, co-executive director at Pulse at the W.E. Upjohn Institute. “The Child Care Champions recognized this year are putting a range of approaches into practice, from investing in new child care facilities and supporting providers to bringing employers and community partners together around shared challenges. Their examples show how local knowledge, partnerships, and resources can help communities develop solutions that work for the families they serve.” 

With child care costs continuing to place pressure on Michigan families, the 2025 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book reported that infant care cost an average of $10,023 annually, making child care one of the biggest expenses families face. The report also noted that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers child care affordable if it costs less than 7% of a family’s income, a threshold that only one in four families meet for infant care.  

“Families are experiencing many financial pressures in this economy and yet are in need of child care to be able to go to work,” said Alicia Guevara, CEO of ECIC. “To help address this issue, communities are leading in new and innovative ways through cross-sector partnerships to build solutions that expand access to affordable care, support families and employers, and boost their local economies. The 2026 Child Care Champions demonstrate what is possible when partners bring together the resources and expertise needed to strengthen child care in our communities.” 

“Families need access to affordable, high-quality child care so parents and caregivers can pursue work and other opportunities, and employers need a workforce that can count on reliable care,” said Synthia Britton, interim deputy director of MiLEAP overseeing the Office of Early Education. “The 2026 Child Care Champions are helping address these needs in communities across Michigan. Their leadership demonstrates how businesses, communities, and local partners can complement state investments and programs to expand access to child care and strengthen our workforce.” 

2026 Child Care Champions of Michigan 

• Northern Lakes Economic Alliance and Manthei Group (Northern Michigan) — Partnered to secure approximately $500,000 to purchase and renovate a vacant Petoskey church, leading to the opening of Little Roots Childcare with two centers and 36 new licensed spaces for children from 6 weeks through age 5. 

• Plainfield Township (West Michigan) — Made child care a community priority by working with providers, employers, schools, and regional partners to reduce barriers to new programs, with two prospective providers poised to add approximately 40 licensed child care spaces. 

• Gentex Corporation, in partnership with the ODC Network (Zeeland/West Michigan) — Invested in a 43,000-square-foot, nature-based early learning center on its Zeeland campus serving infants through preschoolers, including infant care and second-shift care to support manufacturing employees and other families with nontraditional schedules. 

• United Way of Bay County (Bay City/Great Lakes Bay Region) — Is using community partnerships, employer input, and philanthropy to address the region’s child care shortage and redevelop a downtown Bay City site for a center expected to serve approximately 40 to 50 children, with a focus on infants and toddlers. 

• Lapeer County Medical Care Facility & Suncrest Daycare (Lapeer) — Provides licensed infant, toddler, and preschool care while covering 50% of employees’ child care costs and investing in facility improvements, early childhood workforce initiatives, and additional Great Start Readiness Program classrooms. 

• Wacousta Cooperative Preschool and Grand Ledge Public Schools (Eagle/Grand Ledge) — Transformed an underused former elementary school into Wacousta Commons, adding 33 child care spaces and 25 before- and after-school spaces while bringing together educational and community resources in rural Clinton County. 

• City of Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo) — Has treated child care as essential community and economic infrastructure by supporting small business child care providers through training and grants, participating in the MI Tri-Share pilot, and advancing regional child care planning and innovative local solutions. 

• Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County) — Provided a $750,000 loan and $100,000 in grants to Apple Playschools to expand operations, adding 47 child care spaces and 12 jobs while demonstrating how impact investment can support child care capacity. 

• Detroit Regional Partnership Healthcare Committee (Detroit/Southeast Michigan) — Brought major health care employers together to identify child care barriers for workers with nontraditional schedules and used those insights to develop an Employer Child Care Taskforce playbook that provides a framework for other employers.

In addition, during the event, the Small Business Association of Michigan awarded the Child Care Business Excellence Award to Jacqueline Taylor, founder and CEO of Little Dreamers Early Learning Center in the Lansing area. Under Taylor's leadership, Little Dreamers has grown from a small in-home program into a thriving early learning center serving families in the community. The organization recently completed a major facility expansion, adding 3,000 square feet of learning space, creating new employment opportunities and increasing access top child for local families.

Nominations for the 2026 Child Care Champions come from the state’s Regional Child Care Coalitions and represent different approaches to strengthening child care, reflecting the unique needs and opportunities of communities across Michigan. Some are investing directly in child care for employees, while others are bringing together community partners, supporting child care providers, investing in local solutions, or making child care part of broader workforce and economic development strategies. 

Child care is an important part of Michigan’s workforce infrastructure. When families can access affordable, high-quality and reliable care, parents and caregivers can participate in the workforce, employers can recruit and retain talent, and communities can support long-term economic growth. Michigan’s approach includes programs such as MI Tri-Share, the Child Development and Care Scholarship, and PreK for All, along with investments in providers, educators, literacy, and local partnerships. 

This project is supported by MiLEAP utilizing Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

About ECIC: The Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) is Michigan’s leading public–private organization focused on improving early childhood outcomes. Established by the state to advance a comprehensive early childhood system, ECIC works with communities, businesses, policymakers, and families to increase public and private investment in the earliest years and elevate issues impacting young children and their families. Through innovative programs, research, and partnerships, ECIC helps ensure that every child in Michigan has the opportunity to thrive in school and in life. Learn more at ecic4kids.org. 

About Pulse: Pulse at the W.E. Upjohn Institute is dedicated to transforming the early childhood landscape by equipping communities with data-driven solutions and actionable roadmaps. Pulse’s initiative bridges the gap between research and practice, building the conditions necessary for every child, family, and educator to have access to the resources they need to thrive. Through collaborative efforts with stakeholders across Michigan, Pulse drives sustainable change in child care accessibility, workforce development, and policy innovation. Learn more at pulseroadmap.com. 

About MiLEAP: Established by Gov. Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP ensures every Michigander has a path to prosperity from birth to earning a postsecondary credential that leads to high-wage careers. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.